Lauderdale Resort and Marina, Sparrow Lake August 20, then Midland, Ontario August 21

We left Port of Orillia the next morning with the goal to get to Port of Trent Severn to meet up again with Don and Leslie. The first obstacle was a railroad swing bridge that only opened starting at 9 AM. We refueled before arriving at this swing bridge at around 9:20 AM, just in time for the swing bridge to open. We were behind 3 other boats also waiting for swing bridge to open. Upon arriving at the first lock (Couchiching – just a little past the swing bridge) the Lockmaster told us that Swift Rapids Lock (next lock) was closed for maintenance and that we could stay at his lock wall for free but not to go onto the next lock. We had lunch on the Couchiching lock wall then started looking for a marina before Swift Rapids lock.

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We found one marina just at the entrance of Sparrow Lake called Lauderdale Resort and Marina. We decided to go there for power and water since it was early and a hot day.

After getting tied up at the marina, we spent the afternoon catching up on laundry then had a nice dinner at their on-site grill — we sat at TABLE 8!! Unfortunately we didn’t get to meet Don and Leslie, but postponed our visit with them for 1 more day.

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The next morning we headed out early to get to Swift Rapids lock when they opened at 9AM.

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Swift Lock is the deepest single chambered lock on the Waterway at 47 feet high.

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After Swift Lock and the delay from the previous day, we decided to push past Port Severn to go all the way through the final 2 locks (Big Chute Marine Railway and Port Severn) and onto Midland, Ontario across the Severn Waterway and Midland Bay. There were lost of beautiful places and sculptures to see on the waterway.

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Some places had their swim slide just outside on the water, and some places were the only house on a small island…

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We also went over the Big Chute — a railway lift that takes you over the roadway and drops you off in water on the other side.

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After arriving at Bay Port Yachting Center in Midland, Don and Leslie picked us up for dinner at a great little woodfired pizza joint, Dillons. We learned that Leslie and Don knew alot about Midland, Leslie’s family used to own a summer cottage here and so they were quite familiar with this area and Orillia and Port Severn. We had a second great evening with them here in Midland — both parties agreed we needed to get together back in Bradenton when we are all back there.

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